Manchester City have confirmed that influential midfielder Rodri has suffered a knee ligament injury.
The Ballon d'Or nominee was substituted during the first half of last Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw against Arsenal, when he went down clutching the back of his right knee after attempting to attack a right-wing corner at the near post.
Rodri was helped from the field by two members of City's medical staff and, after being examined in Manchester and Barcelona, fears of ligament damage have been confirmed.
However, a statement released by City on Wednesday did not disclose the exact nature of the injury — an anterior crucial ligament (ACL) tear had been widely presumed. Further tests will now take place to determine how long Rodri will be on the sidelines for and decide the next course of action.
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The statement read: "Manchester City FC can confirm that Rodri has suffered a ligament injury to his right knee.
"The injury was sustained during the first half of this weekend’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League.
"The midfielder travelled to Spain to seek specialist consultation this week, following initial tests in Manchester.
"Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis."
What did Pep Guardiola say about Rodri's injury?
Speaking after Tuesday's 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Watford, City manager Pep Guardiola said he was similarly waiting to learn the full severity of Rodri's injury, although he confirmed surgery would be required.
“Still we don’t have the definitive [diagnosis] but he will be out for a long time, a while,” Guardiola said. “But there are some opinions that maybe it will be less than we expected.
“Unfortunately, he was injured, but right now I couldn’t tell you. We are waiting for the last phone calls from him and the doctors for what definitely he has and the type of surgery he has to get. We expect that tonight [or] tomorrow we will know exactly.”
Rodri is expected to be treated in Barcelona by Guardiola's preferred surgeon Dr Ramon Cugat, who has taken care of several City starts that have suffered serious injuries in the past. Cugat is a world-renowned specialist when it comes to ACL treatment.
Guardiola has several excellent midfield options to fill in for the Spain international but he described a player of Rodri's vast skillset to be "irreplaceable".
“He’s okay. He is strong, sad, of course, and waiting for the final decision of what he has to do," he said. "We don't want it [the injury], but we will have a good season. I expect a lot from my players and I have a duty to find a solution, even if Rodri is irreplaceable.
"When a team doesn't play with the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time, it is a big blow. But it's football. It happens. And it is my duty to find a solution, be competitive as we have been for many, many years and be there, be a problem for our opponents.”
